Compressor



April 29, 1947. J. A. slNcLAlR COMPRESSOR.

Filed NOV. 1l`. 1944 Patented Apr. 29, 1947 UNI-T ED STAT ES PAT ENT OfFF IC E GOMPRESSOR .lames A-. SinclairyHouston, Tex.)

Application November 11, 1944, Serial No. 562,928*

(Cl. ZBO-108)v 7YClaims; 1,

The present invention relates' to` compressors and particularly tocompressors fori compressing a gas. or vapor medium` by means of thedapplication of pressure toa liquid medium in which the gaseous mediumisentrained, It is. based primarily upon the principle that iffa liquidhavingf bubbles of gas entrained in it is subjected to pressure, thegasbubbles will be compressed ace cordilngly, whereby the separation of thegas from the liquid at the higher pressure will result inthe productionof compressed gas.

Theprimary object of the present invention is the provision of a new andimproved compressor.

Another obiect of the present invention is to provide a newand improvedcentrifugal compresser wherein amixture ofgaseous and liquid. media issubjected to: pressure andY then discharged', and? wherein thecompressed gaseous medium is separated from` the liquidl medium at thehigher pressure.4

Another object of the present inventionv is to provide anew and'improved compressor wherein pressure issimultaneously applied to amixture of liquid and gaseous. media and* wherein the twoarecontinuously separated at high` pressure'.

Another object' of the present invention is to provide a new andimproved compressor utilizing a continuous liow of a liquid medium toientrain a;y gaseous medium to be compressed' and. including: means forapplying lzaressure to the mixture andthen separating thev compressedgas` from the liquid! at the high pressure.

A still further object ofthe present invention isthe provision of a newandl improved compressor including means for creating a cyclic how ofli'quidy i'n a portion of' which cycle the liquid is subjected tohighpressure, means for supplying gas to be compressed for mixture withsaid' liquid at a point nthe cycle ahead of the high pressure point, andmeans. for separating the compressedgas at a point in the cycle behindthe high pressure point.

Another object" of the presentV invention is to provide a new andimproved centrifugal compressor utilizing liquid for compressing` gasand whereinr the discharged liquid isA utilized as a source of power foractuating the centrifugal means.

nother obiect of the present invention resides in a new and improvedmechanical construction for a centrifugalv liquid typel gas compressor.

Other objects and advantages of the: presentA invention will becomeapparent from the ensuing description, in the course of whichYreferenceV is had to the accompanying drawing, the single ligure ofwhich represents a presently preferred embodiment of the invention.

The compressor of the present invention, as already indicated, is basedupon the principle that if a liquid having gasV entrained in it issubjected to pressure, the gas will be compressed accordingly, sothat ifthe two fiuids are separated atV the higher pressure, acompressed gaswill result. l'n the apparatus illustrated in the figure, gas is drawnYinto a streamv of liquid at low pressure, the mixture isl subjected to`high pressure, the gas and liquid areseparated at the resulting highpressure, the compressed gas is drawn off, andthe liquid is returned toprovide an advantageous cyclic operation.

Turning now to theV ligure, it may be noted that the compressor isindicated as a whole by the referencecharacter It. It includes a supportor frame I2' including a plurality of spaced apart legs I4 supporting anupper central yoke It. The compressor is adapted to be-secured insuitable manner upon a base or foundation I8, above which is located aquantity of liquid 20 utilized for the purposeof compressing the gas.

Gas is supplied for mixture with the liquid at low pressureV throughsuitable means, such as tubes, nozzles, or as illustrated, through aconduit` 22 having a perforated plate 2`4- at its upper end disposed ashort distance below the surface of the liquid. The liquidi may be waterand the gas maybe air although other liquids and gases (includingvapors) may be used. If atmospheric air is `used asY the gas, thentheinlet end ofv conduit 2,2 should be open to atmosphere and4 above orbeyond the liquid 20.

The compressor includes a rotor indicated generally; by they referencecharacter 30 suspended centrally from theframel and` adapted to bedrawnl by suitable means (not shown) through a vertically disposed driveshaft 32 and; as by a pulley 341 orY the. likee secured to the upper endof the shaft. lt is preferred butt notv necessary that. the pressuresupplying means bev secured to the lower endV of' the shaft 32; In theinstant case the pressure supplying meansA includes an impeller or thelike 36 secured to the lower end ofthe shaft. The impeller has agenerally downwardly' facing inlet 38 coaXially disposed relative to theshaft and to. the conduit. It is preferred thatthe lowefendof the inletbe disposed a short distance above the upper end of conduit 22 and thatit be of approximately the same size. If desired, the conduit 22T may bemounted. for vertica-l adiustment to enable variation of the distancebetween it and inlet 38.

In operation the impeller creates a region of negative pressure at theinlet with the result that gas from conduit 22 is entrained with theliquid and the mixture is caused to ow upwardly within the rotor 30. Theimpeller includes a radially and upwardly extending passageway 40 ofgradually decreasing cross section area, and it is preferred that,instead of a single annular passageway, the passageway be divided into aplurality of passageways by the vanes 42. The rotor terminates in anupper, generally cup-shaped portion 44 having a diameter greater thanthe inlet portion. The vanes 4'2 are continued up the inner sides of theouter portion to the top.

The impeller subjects the mixture of liquid and gas to high pressure andthe mixture is discharged into a separation chamber 5i) disposed abovethe impeller and constituted in part by the impeller and a casing 52surrounding the impeller and rotatable with it.

T-he gas and liquid are separated in the separation chamber at `highpressure and thegas is discharged to a suitable reservoir through a gasdischarge conduit 54, the downwardly extending portion 56 of whichextends within the casing and below the top of the impeller. It has aseries of openings 58 providing communication with the upper portion ofthe separation chamber so that the compressed air may flow into theconduit 54-56 through the openings 58 and thence into the dischargechamber.

The casing 52 is preferably constructed into two parts 52L and 52U, theformer of which is secured as by a plurality of screw bolts 6!) to theimpeller and the latter of which is secured to the former by a pluralityof bolts 52 The liquid separated from the gas in the separation chamberis returned to the liquid source 2B through a generally downwardly andinwardly extending passageway 64 constituted by the outer portion of theimpeller and the casing 52. It is preferred that the liquid, which isunder pressure, be utilized to impart rotation to the impeller and thisis accomplished by providing a series of jets, nozzles or reactionblades 66 at the lower inner end of passageway 64 through which theliquid is returned Ato the source.

Leakage of air from within the separation chamber is prevented by arotary seal 68 including a sealing ring 'l secured to the portion 56 ofthe discharge conduit and cooperating with a downwardly extendingportion 'l2 of the upper casing member 52U. Leakage is additionallyprevented by oil 'I4 within a groove l5 constituted by portions of thescaling ring l() and casing flange 12.

Leakage of compressed air upwardly along the shaft from the dischargeconduit 54 is prevented by a rotary seal 18 which may be of any suitableconstruction.

The vertical shaft 32 is journaled in spaced apart ball bearings 8S and82, the former of which is supported at the upper end of the gasdischarge conduit 52 and the second at the lower end of the conduit. Thelower end ofthe conduit is provided with a series of webs 84 supportingthe inner race of the ball bearing and spaced apart to provideadditional communication between conduit 5fl and the separation chamber.

In operatori, the impeller is rotated by rotation of the drive shaft 32,which, it may be remembered, may be rotated by any suitable means. Therotation of the impeller 36 creates a region of negative pressure at theinlet 38 with the result that gas from conduit 22 and liquid from source20 are drawn upwardly into the impeller. The centrifugal force subjectsthe mixture to a high pressure and the resulting mixture is dischargedthrough passageways 40 into the separation chamber 50. Separation of thegas from the liquid does not occur in passageways 40 because the latterare substantially radial and the fluid velocity is great enough toovercome any tendency of the gas to separate. However, when the mixturereaches the separation chamber, where the flow is more nearly axial, thegas flows to the fluid surfaces and to the fluid-free portion of thechamber. From the chamber the high pressure gas flows through apertures58 (and spaces between webs 84) into the gas discharge conduit 54 fromwhence it may be led to a suitable gas reservoir. The liquid returns tothe source 20 through the passageway 64 and the reaction devices 66.

From the foregoing description, it may be noted that the compressor ofthe present invention is characterized by its simplicity, its continuouscyclic utilization of liquid to compress the gas, and also by itsutilization of the liquid itself to impartrotation to the impeller.

While but a single embodiment of the invention has been illustrated anddescribed, it should be understood that the specific details of theembodiment are not to be limitative, except in so far as set forth inthe appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. A compressor for compressing a gaseous medium by applying pressurethereto through a liquid medium, including in combination, centrifugalmeans rotatable about a vertical axis for drawing a mixture of the twomedia from separate sources thereof and for bringing them to a highpressure, means including a centrally open chamber rotating with andinto which the rotatable centrifugal means discharges for separating themedia at high pressure, means for drawing off the compressed gaseousmedium by a generally upward flow, and means for returning the liquidmedium to its source by a generally downward ow.

2. A compressor for compressing a gaseous medium by applyingpressurethereto through a liquid medium, including in combination,centrifugal means for drawing a mixture of the two media and bringingthem to a high pressure. means for separating the media at highpressure, said means including a centrally open separation chamber`rotatable with said centrifugal means into which the media aredischarged, means including a stationary conduit extending centrallyinto said separation chamber for drawing off the compressed gaseousmedium from said separation chamber by an upward flow generally axiallyof Said centrifugal means, and means for drawing o the liquid medium bya generally downward flow near the outer periphery of said centrifugalmeans.

3. A compressor, including in combination, an impeller mounted forrotation about a substantially vertical axis and having a substantiallycoaxial inlet at its lower end and a generally annular outlet at itsupper peripheral end, a Acentrally open separation chamber located aboveand communicating with said outlet, a first discharge outlet locatedsubstantially coaxially Aof rand above the impeller and communicatingwith said chamber, and a second generally annular Adis-- charge passagelocated near the lower end of said impeller and communicating with theseparation chamber near the periphery of the impeller.

4. A compressor, including in combination, an impeller mounted forrotation about a substan` tially vertical axis and having an inlet atits lower end, an outlet at its upper end spaced radially outward fromsaid inlet and a rim forming part of the impeller and extendinggenerally upwardly from said outlet, a centrally open separation chamberlocated above and communicating with said outlet and including a casingdening portion above and radially beyond said outlet and rim, and a pairof discharge outlets communicating with the separation chamber.

5. A compressor, including in combination, an impeller mounted forrotation about a substantially vertical axis and having a substantiallycoaxial inlet at its lower end and a generally annular outlet at itsupper peripheral end, a separation chamber located above andcommunicating with said outlet, said chamber being dened in part by acasing forming part of the impeller, a rst discharge outlet locatedsubstantially coaxially of and above the impeller and communicating withsaid chamber, and a second discharge outlet located near the lower endof said impeller and communicating with the separation chamber betweenthe impeller and said casing.

6. A compressor, including in combination, a shaft rotatable about asubstantially vertical axis, an impeller mounted upon said shaft, saidimpeller including a lower portion dening a coaxial inlet and an upperenlarged generally cupshaped portion terminating ln a generally upwardlyand outwardly extending peripheral outlet, a casing into which saidoutlet discharges secured to the impeller and extending radially outwardbeyond and axially below and above the enlarged portion of the impeller,the portion extending above dening a separation chamber and the portionextending below dening a generally annular outlet passageway, a firstdischarge outlet extending downwardly into said separation chamber andhaving openings providing communication with the chamber, and a seconddischarge outlet constituted by openings at the lower inner end of thecasing.

7. A compressor, including in combination, a drive shaft rotatable abouta substantially vertical axis, an impeller mounted upon said shaft, saidimpeller including a, lower portion defining a coaxial inlet and anupper enlarged generally cup-shaped portion terminating in a generallyupwardly and outwardly extending peripheral outlet, a casing into whichsaid outlet discharges secured to the impeller and extending radiallyoutward beyond and axially below and above the enlarged portion of theimpeller, the portion extending above deflning a separation chamber andthe portion extending below dening a generally annular voutletpassageway, a rst discharge outlet extending downwardly into saidseparation chamber and surrounding the shaft, said passageway havingopenings providing communication with the chamber, and a seconddischarge outlet constituted by openings at the lower inner end of thecasing, said outlet including reaction means for imparting rotation tothe impeller.

JAMES A. SINCLAIR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,312,707 Skidmore Aug. 12, 19191,513,230 Horn Oct. 28, 1924 2,025,037 Bergmann Dec. 24, 1935

